Steve, i apologise if i have come across as wanting to win the discussion.That isn't the case,but sometimes the internet can certainly cloud someones intentions and in this case if i have come across as being competitive about this point i'm sorry as i said. I just know that if i was getting drunk and high outside the gym and our students knew about it a large percentage of them would lose respect for me because of it.Not all of them,but a lot of them.

Steve, i apologise if i have come across as wanting to win the discussion.That isn't the case,but sometimes the internet can certainly cloud someones intentions and in this case if i have come across as being competitive about this point i'm sorry as i said. I just know that if i was getting drunk and high outside the gym and our students knew about it a large percentage of them would lose respect for me because of it.Not all of them,but a lot of them.

All the best

Simon

Simon, honestly, I'm glad you battled the way you did in the 'debate'. You've certainly helped me realise a few things. If I ever get to meet you again I will by you a Acai smoothie.

[QUOTE=relax;790011]I'm sorry to say this, but the above really highlights the level of your ignorance on the subject of cannabis. You should not be talking with any authority on this matter "

Relax, would you be the authority to talk about this then?

[QUOTE=relax"Soap bar" is adulterated cannabis. It has been found to contain, among other things, dirt, blood, amphetamines, pine resin, excrement, glue..... I kid you not, this stuff is the most evil smoke out there at the moment, it contains almost no THC because it's full of sh*t that will really mess you up."

When young men at the age of 15-18 are being admitted to the local CAMHS suffering from Skunk psychosis, being sectioned because they have e.g.this magnified fear of dying and being attacked, which, incidentally, has occurred since smoking 'Skunk weed' and within 3 months, they become unrecogniseable because the medication that is being used to prevent any further psychotic episodes, has completely altered their physical appearance whilst trying to stabalise their psychological state, I would have to say that 'Skunk' weed is the most evil stuff out there at the moment as the consequences are destroying, and I don't want to be disrespectful here, but at 15 years old.... Young lad's lives! THAT, should not be fucking happening!! Because so far, the outcome is not good. Many of these young people, who become affected, are not getting better once the psychosis begins. They deteriorate. Their loved ones deteriorate because they become powerless. Knock on effect.

Maybe people who don't see the harm in smoking weed (and as I have said before, I'm not for or against, this is my view) haven't witnessed the harm it can do. I feel that's the difference. Maybe this isn't the best analogy but.. Why am I going to worry about Cancer if I've never had it? I don't know what chemotherapy feels like? or Radiotherapy. The sickness, the hospital visits... Then if I experienced it or with someone close to me... Then maybe that would enable me to..."open my mind to new possibilities".

When we see and experience both side's of the coin, that is when, I feel, we become more enlightened/open minded about life, not because of the effects of drugs/alcohol itself. Until we experience the good and the bad of something, can we truly say that there is nothing wrong with it??

Daily Mail-esque?! My feelings are hurt, Rob! I don't buy or read newspapers, mind you, I do know that the Daily Mail has a health section on a Tuesday which is quite interesting. Hmmm, I'm not sure how to take your post? I feel this will come across like I'm justifying myself now. I certainly wouldn't come on a Forum, write the posts that I've written because I had read some 'Statistical evidence' in a magazine or newspaper. It'd be a bit like me writing this 'The thing with an inverted or Upside down guard pass is that it can be a difficult guard to face even for a seasoned veteran. The problem when facing this guard is that the forward pressure often results in triangle chokes, armlocks, and helicopter sweeps, while backward movement can end up in a swift footlock or guard recovery.' Now, that makes me sound like I know what I'm talking about. I'm a White belt, with little experience, I just try and survive from getting smashed. :-) I just read this from my copy of the excellent 'Jiu-Jitsu University book by Saulo Ribeiro, with Kevin Howell. People with personal experience of this technique (or series of techniques) will appreciate and understand, wholly, the risks that it presents. Someone who has drilled this countless times, knows it. It's the hands on that counts. Not the 'out of a mag, book, my mate told me, or I've never been caught in it so it doesn't present a risk'

My 'Data' comes from a Senior Consultant from a South East London CAMHS (Child and Adult Mental Health Service) who spoke of his most recent experience on the admissions that he had witnessed regarding Mental health in young people. Many of them had been smoking skunk. It's a gradual change in people. What I'd like to point out is in an earlier post, I did mention that the reason people become affected by Skunk or drugs/alcohol (regarding addicition) could be because of a pre-disposed genetic condition. Hereditary. This could be either parents/Older brothers/sisters/Uncles/Aunt's who have addiction problems or mental health issues that are causing then some difficulty in the self management of their daily lives.

Sometimes, people get to have more direct contact with individuals who have been on the negative end of drug/alcohol use. For me, this provides more factual and realistic 'data' than stats from mags or newspapers or the simple fact that 'Most of the people I know smoke and they've got no problems.' I belive people when they say that. I know people who have smoked for over 25 years. They seem to be fine but does this mean, there is no risk when it comes to smoking skunk? Just because a certain amount of people that I know, my circle of friends aren't affected?

Having spent time as a patient in a psychiatric hospital myself, I can certainly testify that prolonged cannabis use is a major contributor to the poor mental health of young people especially.

I won't quote stats, surveys and peer reviewed studies. I freely admit that my opinions are based purely on anecdotal evidence formed by my own personal experiences. But the evidence of what I've seen and experienced is so overwhelming that it cannot be ignored, certainly not by me.

Having spent time as a patient in a psychiatric hospital myself, I can certainly testify that prolonged cannabis use is a major contributor to the poor mental health of young people especially.

I won't quote stats, surveys and peer reviewed studies. I freely admit that my opinions are based purely on anecdotal evidence formed by my own personal experiences. But the evidence of what I've seen and experienced is so overwhelming that it cannot be ignored, certainly not by me.

What is that evidence, exactly? That someone smoked a lot of weed and then developed a psychiatric problem doesn't mean one caused the other. Neither does the fact that being stoned all the time isn't going to be super helpful symptomatically speaking.

Factors like a bad childhood lead to both substance abuse and psychiatric problems.